


Star

by JaneyKatherineHummingbird



Series: Snippets of Sadness and Angst [9]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Sadness, Tragedy, i can't, my way of coping, rip Anton Yelchin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 11:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7266253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneyKatherineHummingbird/pseuds/JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident claims the life of our dear navigator. The Enterprise mourns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star

**Author's Note:**

> So many people have written stuff like this, but I needed to get this out, too. It's so hard to believe that Anton's gone.

He was a brilliant young genius, an eager explorer, a bright star on the Enterprise. He'd saved Jim's life multiple times thanks to an impossibly high ability to twist the laws of physics. He'd navigated the enterprise through calm spaces and tense standoffs. Jim didn't know anyone on the Enterprise who did not like Ensign Pavel Chekov and he'd seriously question their tastes if they didn't. He himself had always thought of the young man as a cool kid brother: albeit one who could kick his butt (and Spock's) at chess or Trivial Pursuit. (Jim personally loved the frustrated vibes Spock gave off when he lost for the third time in a row.) Pavel's grey eyes flashed fire as he loudly debated with Scotty over the superiority of Russian vodka to Scotch. 

He and Uhura were known to purposely frustrate Sulu by having long conversations in Russian in front of him and making him guess what they were talking about. Jim thought he'd be happy to have Chekov on his ship for years. 

Then came the day it ended. It was a routine shuttle trip to a small planetoid and Chekov was expected back in an hour. However, the signal suddenly blinked out and Uhura could not get ahold of Chekov no matter how hard she tried. "I fear the most logical explanation is the shuttle crashed," Spock said, looking rather grim. Jim felt dread in the pit of his stomach and immediately sent Scotty and Bones out in a second shuttle to investigate. A half hour later Scotty reported in, his voice shaky with sadness. "Captain, I'm afraid I have terrible news. The shuttle did crash and Chekov.....didn't make it." 

There was a dead silence as the whole bridge crew reacted in shock. Jim couldn't believe it: Pavel, the adorable whiz kid, killed? No way. "Are you absolutely sure, Bones?" He demanded, bypassing the engineer to hear it straight from the doctor. Bones sighed. "I'm sorry, Jim. He's gone. Died on impact it looks like. Scotty and I'll bring him back as soon as we can extricate him from the wreckage." Jim sat back down in his chair, numb with shock and pain. He vaguely heard Spock responding and talking to Scotty, but the only thing going through his mind was, "he's dead. Chekov's dead." 

Two weeks later, Jim stood alone on the observation deck, wearing only his black undershirt and pants, a small glass of Chekov's favorite vodka in his hand. The captain almost loathed putting on his gold shirt in the morning now that it only reminded him of a certain yellow clad figure that would never grace the bridge again. He would have worn black all the time if he could get away with it. It seemed to fit the overwhelming sadness everyone felt for the life gone too soon. Scotty drooped around engineering, Sulu looked twenty years older, Bones had been seen leaving his office with suspiciously red eyes multiple times, Uhura hadn't even chewed Jim out once, and Spock had been more serious than ever. They'd had a memorial service on board just days after the crash before they'd turned the body over to the USS Newton to be returned to earth. Jim hadn't been able to make it through the eulogy without breaking down until Lieutenant Uhura had come up beside him in a show of support, laying a steadying hand on his shoulder. 

He stared out at the stars outside, which taunted him with their brightness. "To Chekov," he muttered quietly, gulping down the shot. "Keep on shining, wherever you are. We miss you, kid."


End file.
